NREMT Test Prep (with Brian Santora)

This week on RideAlong: EMT School, Mike and Jonathan are joined by longtime EMT, EMS educator, hockey goalie, and lifelong friend Brian Santora for a conversation about mentorship, EMS education, and preparing for the NREMT exam. Brian shares how a desire to work in the air-conditioned health lodge at a remote Scout camp unexpectedly launched his EMS career, why teaching and mentoring new providers became a calling, and what students should expect as they move from textbook medicine into real-world patient care. Then the crew breaks down NREMT test preparation, including how to approach scenario-based questions, why students must separate local protocols and street experience from textbook answers, which subjects commonly cause trouble, when to take mock exams, and how tools like Pocket Prep can identify weaknesses before test day. The episode wraps up with five practice questions that prove even experienced providers can get tripped up—and why getting a question wrong should become a learning opportunity instead of quicksand. -------------------------------------- NREMT TEST PREP WITH POCKET PREP Practice NREMT-style questions, review detailed answer explanations, and track your performance across the exam categories. https://www.RideAlongEMTSchool.com/PocketPrep -------------------------------------- Episode Breakdown 00:00 – Intro and Pocket Prep 01:30 – Welcome and introducing Brian Santora 04:43 – Treasure Island, Scouting, and the beginning of a lifelong friendship 10:01 – How an air-conditioned health lodge led Brian into EMS 17:20 – The Sprite story 24:44 – Brian’s EMS career and passion for mentorship 35:20 – Becoming an EMS educator 41:04 – IFT versus 911 experience and building clinical skills 50:17 – Welcoming and mentoring new EMTs 54:06 – NREMT test preparation 58:42 – Textbook answers versus street medicine 1:02:21 – Test anxiety and understanding how you learn 1:06:28 – How to read and break down NREMT questions 1:10:20 – Pediatric vitals and commonly missed material 1:14:08 – Reading what the question actually asks 1:23:51 – The most difficult NREMT subject areas 1:38:12 – When to take NREMT mock exams 1:44:21 – Using Pocket Prep and modern study tools 1:49:27 – NREMT practice questions 2:15:09 – Learning from missed questions 2:17:27 – Avoiding test-day quicksand 2:23:36 – Brian’s advice: listen twice as much as you talk 2:26:19 – Wrap-up -------------------------------------- ⚠️ Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and storytelling purposes only. It is not medical advice or official EMT training. Always follow your accredited instructors and local protocols. -------------------------------------- 🚑 RideAlong: EMT School Links https://www.RideAlongEMTSchool.com